CM Badal pursues release of 13 life convicts

Taking up the issue of release of 13 life convicts hailing from Punjab, currently lodged in jails across the country from the days of militancy in the state, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday wrote separately to his counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka and Gujarat besides to Lt Governor, New Delhi, and administrator of union territory of Chandigarh for their prompt release on humanitarian grounds.

Taking up the issue of release of 13 life convicts hailing from Punjab, currently lodged in jails across the country from the days of militancy in the state, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday wrote separately to his counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka and Gujarat besides to Lt Governor, New Delhi, and administrator of union territory of Chandigarh for their prompt release on humanitarian grounds.

In separate letters, Badal impressed upon them to consider their cases sympathetically as per the provisions of the release policy of their states so as to secure the release of these convicts expeditiously.

“When a prisoner spends more than stipulated period in jail and is eligible to be considered for release, but is not released, resentment in the minds of his near and dear ones is caused and also provides reasons for certain segments of society to agitate,” Badal wrote to them.

He urged his UP counterpart Akhilesh Yadav to consider the case of life convict Waryam Singh, currently lodged in the Central Jail, Bareilly, who had already undergone incarceration of 22 years. Badal also raised the issue with Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhra Raje for the release of life convict Gurmeet Singh Fauji, currently lodged in Tonk jail, Rajasthan, who had already completed nine years of the 10-year imprisonment awarded to him.

Badal urged West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerji to release life convict Daya Singh Lahoria, who is lodged in Tihar Jail, New Delhi, and has already completed 10 years of imprisonment against the life sentence awarded to him.

He wrote to Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel for the release of life convict Lal Singh, currently lodged in Nabha jail in Punjab, who has already undergone incarceration of 22 years.

Badal also took up the matter of releasing life convict Gurdeep Singh Khaira, currently lodged in Gulberga jail, Karnataka, who has already undergone imprisonment of 24 years with his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah.

The chief minister also sought personal intervention of New Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung for the release of life convict Davinder Pal Singh, currently lodged in Tihar jail, Delhi, whose death sentence awarded by the additional sessions judge in a Delhi court has already been commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court and the said convict had already completed 20 years in jail.

The others whose release Badal pursued included life convicts Parmjeet Singh Bheora and Jagtar Singh Hawara, both lodged in Tihar jail, Delhi, who had undergone incarceration of 19 years, and five other life convicts — Gurmeet Singh, Shamsher Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Subeg Singh and Nand Singh lodged in the Chandigarh jail.